Apparatus for the manufacture of producer-gas.



W. J. CROSSLEY & T. RIGBY. APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PRODUCER GAS.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 3,1907.

Patentd Dec. 14,1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 WITNESSES W. J. CROSSLEY & T. RIGBY APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PRODUCER GAS.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 3, 1907.

Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Jaw.

, Nx/E NITO W N if W. J. GROSSLEY & T. RIGBY. APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE or PRODUCER GAS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3, 1907.

Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 waTN EssEs INVENTOR$ w w lrinrrnn salaries .raiennir APPARATIl'S FOR. THE MANUFACTURE OF PRODUCER-GAS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1 5:, 1909 Application filed August 3, 1907. Serial H0. 386,943.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, lVirtiArr JoHN CRossLEr, of Crossley Brothers Limited,

- Opensharv, Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, England, and THOMAS RIGBY, of

The Square, FairfieldyManchester aforemost of which cake hard together during the period the volatile matter is being expelled from them. As a consequence when used 1n an ordinary gas producer, these caking coals are very difficult to work as the ca red fuel causes scaffolding and the formation of holes and cavities in the fuel bed.

In our improved apparatus the fuel is spread as hereinafter described ina layer on a suitable primary combustion device and the fuel is in the first place partially burned and subjected to heat in such a manner that the'volatile matter is expelled, and the tarry matters contained therein consumed, the resulting heat causing the volatile matter to be expelled from the fresh fuel as it is fed in. (The air supplied for the combustion of the volatile matter given off from the fuel is hereinafter termed the prin'iary air supply). The resultantfrom this first process consists mainly of carbon and ash, and when the fuel so treated is bituminous coal the product is a coke free from tar. This result-ant hereinafter called a coke is in our improved apparatus passed into a gas producer arranged to receive it.

The products of combustion of the-volatile matter and primary air will usually be passed either alone, or in conjunction with an additional supply of air through the hot fuel in the gas producer. (This additional supply of air is referred to hereinafter as the secondary air supply). In the result the gas produced is free from tar and most of the heat of the volatile matter is recovered and utilized.

In the accompanying three sheets of drawingsFigure 1 is an elevation, Fig. 2 a sectional elevation and Fig. 3 a sectional elevation on the line AB, Fig. 2 of a gas producer constructed accordin to our invention and specially adapted or gasifying caking bituminous coal. Fig. t shows the gas producer l, 2, lifted with a valve, through which the coke is passed from the primary combustion device into .the gas producer proper. Fig. 5 illustrates our improved gas producer as adapted for use with fuels which cake slightly or not at all.

When using bituminous fuel we prefer that the fuel be burned in the first place in a layer, not necessarily either thin or even, but preferably both thin and even, on or in connection with some breaking, stirring, agitating, or like mechanical device to insure constant ignition of the incoming green fuel. \Vhen the coal has a. tendency to cake on heating we prefer to use a. device like a modified mechanical stokcr as used in steam boiler practice, and having movable iirebars, which not only provides for constant ignition of the incoming green fuel but insures the breaking up of the coke and clinker (if any) to a size suitable for use in a. gas producer. Such an arrangement is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the slightly inclined the bars (1 being mcchanicall y operated by cams I) which are arranged alternately at. opposite centers on a. rotating shaft I) so that alternate bars a. will be moving in opposite directions, the shaft 7) being driven by worm gearing from a driven shaft In practice such an arrangement as the foregoing causes the fuel which would otherwise cake. together to be constantly agitated so that caking 'on the moving bars a is either prevented or the cakcd fuel broken up into pieces of suitable size. At the same time any tendency to blow into holes during the. primary combustion is corrected by the moving bars.

It will be understood that when the volatile matter has been expelled from the fuel that the coke produced will not cake a second time, the most strongly coking coals mixes with the aseous products of prin'iary' when subjected to such mechanical agitation being either broken up after caking or prevented from caking.

The primary air either alone or mixed with steam or other gases or vapors passes through the firebars a as indicated by the arrowFig. 2, and the layer of fuel thereon and passes as shown by other arrows to the Secondary air may be admitted at any desirable point or points say at e, or c, or c and combustion before passing through the grate (Z and entering the fire. The gas produced leaves through the'gas outlet 9 and is taken away for use. The fuel is stored in the hopper h and descends by gravity over the coking plate k, the function of which is to cake the reen fuel somewhat by means of the heat of the primary combustion gases before descendingto the fircbars a. The heat developed in and above'the layer a should generally be sufficient to cause complete decon'iposition of the volatile matter but not necessarily so. The ashes produced are taken away as required through the water lute m. at the foot of the producer.

As the products of the primary combustion are passed through the gas producer, any hydrocarbon which would otherwise produce tar is completelydecomposed or converted by the second combustion.

It will be seen that the depth from the firebars a to the gas outlet 9 is shown greater than the depth from the lower grate (I to the gas outlet, and this is. so arranged to pre-" vent short circuiting and insure that all or most of the primary combustiol'i gases will pass by way of the flue 1 and the grate (Z to and through the gas producer.

proper. This short circuiting may be prevented in other ways, as for example. as shown in Fig. 4 which is the same airrangement as that illustrated b l*igs. 1. 2 and 3 except that a valve f is shown placed between the primary comlmstion devic: and the gas producer proper for the purpose of preventing the gaseous prod- .ucts of combustion from the former passing into the producer by any channel except the flue rr. able means (not shown) from'outside the casing, either continuously or intermittingly. and is so arranged as to allow the passage of fuel into the producer'while blocking the flow of the gaseous products.

Vlith some fuels we find it advantageous to pass secondary air oustcam through the fire separate andapart from the. main current of primary combustion gases and if so desired we may arrange for the primary combustion gascs and the secondary air or steam to pass through the gas producer The valve j is operated by any suiteither separately or in any combination of gas, air and steam and in any direction to and through the gas producer.

When calting' fuel is not being used it is not always advisable to provide a device for breaking up the coke produced by the primary combustion and in some cases we prefer toprovide a continuous or intermittent mechanical feeding appliance which may be arranged in any suitable manner to insure that'a layer of fuel is continuously subjected. to heat. and primary combustion and that continuous ignition of the incoming green fuel is obtained. Such a mechanical feeding appliance may be used either alone or in conjunction with an agitating mechanical device as hereinbefore mentioned. Fig. 5 shows an arrangement of such a gas producer in which the fire bars a are stationary and the fuel from the hopper it is fed forward by the action of a reciprocating pusher p fitted in a guide 0 and driven by an arm 11 from an eccentric s" on a rotating shaft 3 or by any other suitable driving gear. In this ar 'angement the fuel is fed on or into the primary co'mbustlon grate or support in such a manner that the layer of fuel is kept free from blow holes? or inequalities during the primary combustion wlnle insuring the continuous ignition of the green fuel as it enters the primary combustion ,device.

It Wl'll be seen that in both arrangements 'Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and Fig. 5 the gas producer is arranged in such a manner that the path of least resistance for the primary air and products of combustion is clearly defined, but in some cases it is not convenient to. so arrange the gas producer and we then arrange for it to be constructed as illustrated in Fig. l.

I it should be understood that the coke as dischargtal from the primary combustion device is in this arrangement Fig. ehdelivcred to the valve f. the function of-this valve being to distribute the coke to the gas producer proper. The valve may be opened at intervals to discharge the coke produced or it may be continuously operated in such a manner that coke is constantly being discharged into the gas producer.

"lheproduets of the primary combustion pass in the usual manner eith alone or with secondary air steam or other gases in any desirable direction or coml'iination to and through theg-as producer but usually by way of the fine a and grate d the gas lcav ing the gas producer at the outlet. 7.

In all cases the primary a'ir supply may be'passed either through or in contact'with the layer of fuel on the primary combustion device.

With fuels which fuse readily we find it combustion device erases advisable to admit steam with the primary i air supply to reduce the temperature ot the tire, with a view to preventing the tormation of clinker which might otherwise be i formed in inconvenient quantities.

The exhaust gases of a gas engine or the t products of combustion of a furnace may be used it so desiredeither alone or mixed with air or air and steam to 6580C the same purpose as that for which the primary air supply is intended. l

The producer may be worked under I suction but we preferably 'arl range it to work by suction in such a manl her that the aspiration at the gas outlet pipe l of the producer will draw theprimary air through the primary combustion device and l in addition, it desirable, s condary air steam l or other gases to and through the producer l in any direction or combination. l Any moisture contained in the fuel evaporated in the first place in the primary l combustion device and passed with the l products of combustion to the producer, so that a certain quantity of steam is present in the mixture entering the producer from this source and in addition, there is usually present the steam produced l by combustion of the volatile matter. \Vith some fuel this steam would be suliicient butwith others extra steam is required which l can be raised by any desirable means either t .t'rom auxiliary sources or from the heat of the producer of the gases leaving the prol ducer. In some cases especially when th 1 gas from the producer is to be used ,l'or heat-' 1 mg purposes we find it advantageous to feed l water into the fuel entering the gas pro ducer and this evaporated on the primary I and the steam'producet l passes over with the products of combustion to and through the gas producer.

It will be understood that the quantity of l the volatile matter a fuel contains determines more or less to what extent the fuel l is burned during primary combustion and l the quantity of secondary air required tel complete combustion also depends on the amount of carbon let't imthe coke.

lVith some fuels we arrange the depth of i the layer in such a manner that all the at t mospheric oxygen entering the producer through the primary combustion device in the first. place and through the coke in the gas producer in the second place. in the result the t'uel is mostly consumed to CO and steam in the first place and passes to {T0 and providing the necessary caras part of the products oi cmubustion into l rue decomposition or i l combustion from the primary .Ve have found it desirable with fuels containing small proportions of iixed carbon that care be taken that the primary combustion be not carried too tar or else there will not be sutticient carbon left in the coke to insure the production of a proper quality of producer gas and we preter gen-- erally that the depth of the layer on the primary combustion device shall be such that a maximum proportion of CO with little or no excess of oxygen obtained in the region of primary combustion. l t, is obviously desirable to lose as little of the sensible heat of the primary combustion as possible and in small producers owing to the greater proportionate radiation t advisable to limit the quantity 5. prir air to such an extent that some ,-nl 'u ole gases are carried over in the primary combustion gases.

What we claim and desire to secu'e by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A producer comprising primary combustion device, a.-

producer proper, means for continuously delivering the resulting coke from ducer, and means for oi combustion from tion device through the coke which is consmned in the gas producer proper.

A gas producer comprising a primary combustion device, a producer proper, means for continuously delivering the rewe have t and passing the products the primary combusto be suiting coke troni said device to the proproducts of combustion device through the coke which is to be consumed in the gas producer proper, and means for preventing the products of coml to the gas producer ducer, means for passing the oustion from passing with the coke.

.3. A gas producer comprising a primary combustion device, means for agitating the tool in said device, a gas producer proper, said producer having a conduit for receiving the coke from the prin'iary combustion device and delivering it to the producer pro" 3 1 r, and means tor passing the produ "s of combustion from the priniar court tion device through the coke which is to be consunu-d in the gas producer proper.

l. A gas producercomp'ising a casing having conduits therein, a primary combuslion device at the upper end of the casing, a gas producer proper at the lower end of said casing, one of the conduits delivering the coke from the primary combustion de vice to the gas producer proper and the other conduit deliveri11; the products ot combust'on from the primary combustion device tin ugh the echo in the gas producer proper, a an agitator in the first named conduit.

said device to the pro- 5. A producer comprising n casing} having conduits therein, :1 prinniry combusr rst named conduit. tinn, device at the upper end of the easing, In testimony whereof We have signed our u gins n-uducer preppi- {it the lower end of names to this specification in the presence of 5 said casing, one of the conduits delivering f two subscribing Vitnesses.

the coke from the prinmry cmnbnstion de- I \VILLIAM JOHN CRUSSLEY.

vibe to the gas in'oduccr proper and the THOMAS RIGBY. other conduit, dcnvering the products of W'Nnesses: combustion t'rQm the prin'uny combustion PERCY E. MATTOCKS,

1O device through the coke in the gas producer WM. 0. BROWN.

proper, and an agitator and valve in the 

